Photo:BSS

DHAKA, Jan 19, 2025 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today fixed February 9 for hearing on three review petitions pleading for restoration of the 13th amendment to the constitution and reinstatement of the poll-time non-party caretaker government (CG) system.

A four-member apex court bench headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the order, allowing a time plea filed by senior jurists Zainul Abedin and Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal for BNP.

The Appellate Division full bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on December 1, 2024, adjourned the hearing till today.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Miah Golam Parwar and Secretary of rights organization Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, Badiul Alam Majumdar filed the three review petitions in this regard. Three pleas will be heard concurrently.

The High Court on December 17, 2024, declared scrapping of the caretaker government system in the constitution as illegal.

A HC bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Ray Chowdhury pronounced the judgment also restoring the provision of referendum in the constitution. 

Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, after pronouncement of the judgment, told the journalists that the High Court has declared the scraping of caretaker government provision in the constitution as illegal and from now on the caretaker system is part of the constitution.

Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, referring to the observation of the court, said the caretaker government system was included in the constitution on the basis of a political consensus that is why it had been made basic fundamental of the constitution.